


The Lady and the ninja

by VNVdarkangel



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe, Feudal Japan, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:02:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29642049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VNVdarkangel/pseuds/VNVdarkangel
Summary: Nico gets a contract on a heiress.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	The Lady and the ninja

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hiei_Curry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hiei_Curry/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Kotori's Ronin War](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26126128) by [Hiei_Curry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hiei_Curry/pseuds/Hiei_Curry). 



> On reading the chapter [Night infiltration](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26126128/chapters/72723414) I felt that I had a different version of Nico and Maki's first meeting that I wanted to tell. So here it is.
> 
> On that note, I urge you to read [Kotori's Ronin War](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26126128/).

Most nights were the same for Lady Nishikino, heiress to the Nishikino clan: a search. A search for that someone that made her feel alive for more than a moment, for more than a few hours, so that when the heat of the coupling ended, she did not stare into the face of a stranger that she felt disgusted to have shared her body and her bedding with in the faint hope of feeling _something_.

She had beauty, power, wealth; all the things that made her behaviour both expected and excused. Nobility often acted in ways that the peasantry would never really accept if they had a choice.

They seldom had. The choice was more often to look away or never to look again. Some choices were simple, and there were always around them. Some ways more extreme than others.

Lady Nishikino had quickly rifled through her peers in the nobility, ladies, sisters and daughters of her age and status that, as she quickly discovered, regarded her in the same way as she them, disposable, only good for the momentary release of frustration and lust. In the mornings she didn’t even have a face to feel disgusted by. After the proceedings, when they though she was asleep, they crept away as quietly as they had entered.

With this pool of candidates exhausted, there was no other choice but to search the lower classes: daughters of merchants, farmers, tradesmen and adding the working girls of the brothels. She felt no shame in offering exuberant prices and rewards for their nightly company to whoever was responsible, though she discarded them just as quickly to continue the search.

To an outsider it might have seemed a paradise, each night a new feast ready to be devoured with no fear of responsibility or regret of usage having to enter the executor’s mind. But it was ever present in Lady Nishikino, each night, when the heat wore off, she felt more empty that the hours before. She was lonely, terribly lonely, the few hours of bliss a plaster that took no effort to lose and all the effort to keep in place.

* * *

She entered the grounds through the small well that supplied it with water. The swim though the caverns had been uneventful and quite liberating, feeling the water around her body, tingling all her senses to attention. With her garments packed in a watertight bag, she would have dry clothing once she exited the well and found a suitable place to dress. She had stayed just above the water in the well, listening for the sounds of guards and wildlife that could expose her. What little she had heard gave her enough of a picture to securely climb the walls of the well, her shuko making minimal noise as they dug into the stones. Approaching the upper edge, she stopped, listened again and satisfied peeked above the edge. No one was nearby. She quickly vaulted over the edge and into a nearby bush, the small twigs streaking her naked skin.

Quietly exploring the grounds, she found an empty stable and quickly dressed, leaving only a small slit for her eyes as the rest of her body was covered in black fabric, with protective plates and pouches placed at suitable locations all through the garment. She crept, unseen and unheard to the main house.

The guards were easily waylaid and avoided and within minutes she was slowly making her way to the master chamber, slowly creeping along the rafters, avoiding obvious dead ends and creaky beams.

As she slipped through a ventilation cut-out and into the master chamber, she was her night’s target, by all appearances sleeping soundly, though the breathing patters suggested otherwise. She slowly lowered herself to the floor, avoiding the false pane, and sat down by the bedding.

“You can stop pretending now.” She said, “You have a contract for me.”

The figure in the bedding arose slowly, eyes darting around in the dark

“My guards?” the man said.  
“Alive, well and asleep. We are alone.”  
“Good. Your reputation was not embellished without reason. What do you know?”  
“Only that you want to end one of Lady Toujou’s samurai and that the payment is very generous.”  
“I see.”

She could see the man slowly nodding.

“The samurai in question is Lady Nishikino, the heir apparent to the Nishikino clan.”  
“I see. As a matter of course I must ask how she has offended you in that you are asking for this task and pay so exuberantly for its execution.”  
“Is it not the role of an assassin not to ask?”

_They all assume we take money but have no morals or honour._

“You might not think so given the trade and our methods, but honour prevails in our ranks. We are not ronin. Never forget that.”  
“I understand. No offence was intended. Now as to the situation: My daughter has been shamed by Lady Nishikino. Her innocence and purity tainted and tossed aside like a dirty rag. Lady Nishikino came to me, asking for the company of my daughter, who I keep in safety away from the cruel world outside these walls. At first, I responded no, but the offer of compensation proved too much to ignore, so I agreed. A decision I now utterly regret.”  
“What happened?”  
“A goshoguruma arrived for her at the agreed evening to take her to the Lady’s castle. She embarked and she was returned the following morning. But I sensed all was not well when she requested her servants to bring her to an onsen so that she could cleanse herself.”  
“That is unusual?”  
“Yes. She loathes anything too warm and the water she uses to clean herself is usually from the well. As they returned, a servant impressed upon me that she had submerged herself and had to be pulled up in order not to perish.”  
“You inquired, I take it.”  
“I commanded her to tell me the reason for her moods and, with frequent tears she told that Lady Nishikino had taken her to her to her chambers and bedroll. I trust I must not repeat the words she told me. After her innocence was taken and she had been engaged in any number of dishonourable acts, alone or with women that sell themselves for a handful of rice, she was dismissed without a word the next morning and promptly brought back here.”

_Used and tossed away…_

He continued:  
“I discreetly enquired others if something similar had happened to them and many shared stories similar to my own. It is disgraceful. My daughters honour has been violated. Acts unbecoming have been performed with the lowest of people, and for that, payment has be to be exacted.”  
“Any specific conditions?”  
“I want her to know why she has been ushered into yomi. As long as this is met, my daughter's honour will be restored.”  
“I understand. It will be done.”  
“Here, a small sum for your preparations.” A small pouch was tossed in front of her. She lifted it, it was sufficient. It disappeared into a pocket.

She rose up and eyed the rafters and jumped.

“One more thing.” He called, “I know of your family and siblings. Your failure will be theirs.”

As she heard these words an icy chill went up her spine. Her family. Her siblings. The only people that kept her sane, the ones for which she was shinobi and not ronin. The message was clear: fail the mission, they die.

She would not fail.

* * *

Sha had spent five days watching the Nishikino castle, learnings its routines and geography and she had to say that she was impressed. Not only were guards in constant view of each other, but the changing of a guard detail was also never at the same time during a day and both obvious and more obscure avenues of ingress and egress had been covered.

Getting into the castle covertly would be problematic, however, the Lady Nishikino's own routines were quite straight forward. Every second day she would set out in a norimono, with a covered goshoguruma following a short while after. The norimono would call at the compound of a noble or prominent figure, no doubt negotiating for a night with their female offspring’s company and then move on to the brothels of the area. From her norimono I finger would point, the pleasure lady would bow and climb onto the wagon. It gave mor the feel of a cattle market than a pleasure seeking noble looking for the depraved and desperate.

Unbeknownst to the Lady, the ninja was following close-by and as the routine dragged on, a plan began to formulate. She would conceal herself and one of the brothels newest additions, sneaking in would be the easiest, then she would have to hope to be picked. An element of uncertainty was present since the Lady Nishikino didn’t seem to have any particular type apart from that she only selected females, never a single male.

Not that this was an issue for the ninja.

She spent a few days scoping out the various houses of pleasure and another day adjusting a kimono with hidden pouches and a scabbard for her tanto, for no other weapon would be possible to conceal on her short person without drawing attention to itself. With the night-time and the Lady Nishikino’s visit approaching, the ninja, now in the guise of one of the pleasure ladies waited. As certain as the day turning, after a while she saw the norimono turn into the lane in front of the cages she and the other sat in. Roomy, by all standards, but still with bars. The bearers stopped close to her, a command having been issued from the concealed volume inside. A small, elegant hand pointed at the disguised ninja. She bowed and was let out and led to the wagon where she sat. The other occupants, by the looks the daughter of a merchant and two ladies of pleasure were engaged in conversation, speaking of how generous the Lady had been in their payment, even before anything had been done. The merchant’s daughter looked at them with wide eyes, probably hearing some of the more private words for the first time, but understanding their meaning.

The ninja sat down gingerly, the concealed tanto itching to be set free.

_Not now._

The ride was short and led back to the castle, just as the ninja had expected. She was not searched or in any way hindered, a small group of guards just let them into a large room with food set on the table. The pleasure women immediately began to eat, the ninja partaking as well. The daughter just sat, drinking the water that had been poured up. After a while a new guard appeared and asked for them to join the Lady Nishikino in her chambers and that he was tasked with escorting them. Walking slowly, the ninja made mental notes of what she saw and heard, from creaking floorboards to the lattice work of the rafters. As they came close to a partition door, the guard bade them to wait, announcing himself to the occupant.

“The short one.” A pleasant voice said from the inside, the guard quickly ushering the ninja inside and shutting the partition behind her.

The room was large and sparsely decorated. A koto rested against the wall on one side, many small wood-prints decorated another wall and a fire raged in a hearth, giving the room a warm glow. In another corner sat a suit of armour, unmoving. Sitting on the floor. She immediately bowed to the floor, making sure to have vision of happenings around her.

“Please, present yourself to me. And raise your head, I hate it when people mumble into the tatami.” Said the voice that had spoken earlier.

The ninja raised her body slowly, taking in the woman that stood in front of her. The red-pink hair, the violet eyes and the clear cut features made her a vision that one didn’t forget. No wonder she could entice pure maidens to give in to her carnal desires.

“I am called Haruka, my Lady. My family owes a debt and I am the oldest of my siblings so it falls onto me to work for their sake.”  
“Will my contribution ease the payments?”  
“They will my lady.”  
“Good.”

The Lady turned her back to the ninja. The time was now, she reached to the concealed hilt of her blade and her hand had almost closed around it when…

“Won’t you tell me your real name?”  
“My Lady?”  
“Your _real_ name. I order you.”  
“But, my Lady. Haruka is my…”  
“Liar.”  
“My Lady.”  
“I know all the stable holders in the area. No one has anyone new working for them, so who are you, in reality?”

The ninja saw her options trickling away. Such a mistake, she had not bothered to learn more on how the houses operated. Her moment moving away, she contemplated what to do. She gripped the hilt and ripped the weapon from its hiding place and sprang. Her target closed its eyes. And her tanto was deflected, and she herself forcefully pushed to the ground, her arms pinned. She had no idea where her ambusher had come from, and with her arms pinned there was no escape.

“That’s quite enough for now.” Said another familiar voice, this time from a time long since gone, “Nicochi, I can’t let you kill her.”  
The ninja struggled, but to no avail. “Nozomi???”  
A voice above her said: “You will address her as Lady Toujou!”  
“That’s enough Umi.” Said the familiar voice, “Nicochi, I want your word that, when I order Umi to release you, you will stay right here and not run. Do I have it?”

There was a moment’s hesitation from the ninja, then a resigned: “You have it.” was spoken.  
“Good. Umi, release her.”  
“Lady Toujou, I must protest! This… dishonourable…” Umi said.  
“Hold it right there, Umi. Nicochi might be many things but she is not without honour. Let her stand. But do take the dagger from her.”

The ninja felt the pressure on her body being released and slowly sat up. Lady Nishikino was nowhere to be seen, but the sight of her still lingered in the ninja’s mind. The look of acquiescence as she saw her death approach.

“Who sent you?”  
“You know I can’t tell you.”  
“True. But I also know how to make you tell me. Fortunate for you that such methods won’t be needed.”  
“But my lady, “Umi protested, “without that knowledge…”  
“I already know who.” Nozomi interrupted.  
“You… you do?” Umi asked.

_Oh no…_

“Yes, and, “she looked at the ninja, “I also know that your family is being used as a bargaining chip in this. Believe me when I say that they are safe and will be cared for.”  
“My Lady Toujou, why are you so lenient and familiar with this… assassin?” Umi asked.  
“I was a child once too. And she was my friend.” Nozomi raised her voice, “Maki, come in here please.”

A partition was opened, and the Lady Nishikino came in, dressed in a more subdued garb.

“I offer you a choice Nicochi. Train Maki. Train her to be able to defend herself from shinobi.”

“What?!?” Lady Nishikino protested.  
“Or?” the ninja asked, fearful of the reply.  
“I will let know where your family is hiding and hold you here. You won’t be able to rescue them.” Nozomi said as a matter-of-fact.  
“If you let them get hurt I will…”  
“You will what, exactly? Exact your revenge? You’re welcome to try… but I know it won’t come to that.”

The ninja looked around weighing her options.

“I accept.”  
“Don’t I get a say?” Lady Nishikino objected.  
“No Maki, you don’t.” Nozomi countered.  
“I refuse! This… this… tried to kill me!”  
“And you didn’t do anything, either you accepted your fate or you were paralyzed. Either is _unacceptable_.”

The ninja fixed her stare on the pink-haired girl.

“I’ll make sure you learn. It might even be fun… for me.”

The violet eyes filled with hate.

“I’ll kill you!”  
“You’re welcome to try princess.”

Silence spread across the room. The atmosphere was a spark away from an explosion.

“Enough” said Nozomi, “Nicochi, you’ll present yourself and your belongings _at the gate_ tomorrow. Maki, you will provide her with quarters, though I think she should stay close. Umi, I thank you for your service. I have business to attend to.”

She turned and left.

* * *

The man sat on his knees, his head bowing to the ground.

“Now what am I to do with you?” Nozomi voice teased.  
“I have done no wrong, my lady Toujou.” The voice was full of fear.  
“You hired my friend to kill another friend. Her family would want nothing else than total retribution if even one hair had left her body by force. I’d say that does qualify as something wrong.”  
“But Lady Toujou…”

A slash, a splash and dull thud followed by another echoed through in the underground chamber.

Nozomi looked with disdain at the collapsed body, the neck still trickling with blood.

“Never lie to me. You! Servant.”

The woman threw herself on the floor next to her master.

“What is your name?”  
“Yuki, Lady Toujou.”  
“So… Yuki, are you certain that he did not speak to anyone to have the shinobi’s family ransomed and killed?” Nozomi asked, wiping off the katana.  
“I… I am… please… I…”  
“Stand up, Yuki!”

The servant stood.

“You’re free to go. I know the truth. Ask his daughter if she would accept the protection and friendship of my clan. Impress upon her that the punishment for ordering the assassination of a noble’s heir is the complete eradication of the offending house, but that I will be gracious. She has a choice. I will not force her either way. Now go.”

The servant was escorted away.


End file.
